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11 December 2014

For someone who is not into fresh cheese and cream, you will be surprised if I say that I love burrata. I find the mozzarella and cream oozing out from its mozzarella shell purely irresistible. And my husband knows that because when he encounters some fresh products from Puglia (the Italian region where they are made), he buys a ball or two for me and mozzarella for himself. Between mozzarella and burrata, yes, I have a weakness for the latter which I love to eat with extra virgin olive oil drizzled over it and some tomatoes and basil if available. That, for me is a grand salad to be enjoyed with every bite. And I have 3 more recipes here that are reminiscent of 3 neighboring countries known for their Mediterranean diets. Greece, Spain and of course, Italy.

With all the incredible food in Greece, one of the dishes that I loved most was their simple salad mixed with feta, cucumbers, tomatoes and other fresh ingredients. It was what Mediterranean diet was all about. Fresh vegetables accentuated with delicious local cheese makes eating light, delicious and an experience of day-to-day Greek cuisine. Feta is a wonderful cheese that goes so well with salads but with this dish, I replaced it with burrata to give it a different approach.

Tapas, that's the first thing that comes to my mind when I think of Spanish cuisine. Those little plates of Spanish flavors before meals, especially dinners. Yum! The Spanish have a relaxing way of taking things easy when it comes to food, appreciating the various dishes that the local ingredients can be part of in making them. Chorizo, chickpeas, chilis, tomatoes, there's a pretty long list of the ingredients that I love in Spanish dishes. Dinners are late because of the tapas in the early evenings.

This is the only salad where I cooked the ingredients. It takes more effort and time in preparing it but you will find that this one is the tastiest among the three. With the use of chorizo, chickpeas and sweet tomatoes, your taste buds will be transported to Spain, imagining plates of tapas right in one big salad with burrata.

It's not the same without an Italian rendition of salad with burrata. Italian cuisine is known for its simplicity and usage of fresh ingredients and the flag colors on the salad itself. I added more greens to the version that I have always loved with burrata and perhaps will always love too. The basic tomatoes and basil with extra virgin olive oil is a classic for me and with the added arugula, it's definitely a plus!

It's like comfort food but with a bit of
caution because burrata is not really a light cheese because of the
cream content. It's something to be enjoyed once in a while and since it's something that you cannot always have, then you have to make it special. Choosing which country-themed salad is already a good start. If you ask me which one is the best, I wouldn't be able to give you an answer because all three have different special characteristics of their own.

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All photos and text copyright: Rowena Dumlao - Giardina. If you re-post a recipe, please give credit and link to this site and PLEASE DO NOT RE-POST THE FULL RECIPE. If you are interested in using the photos, please contact me at: weng.dumlao@gmail.com